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QMI Agency

The Canadian long track speed skating team has a new boss, and, fittingly enough, he’s from Winnipeg.

Former Olympian Sean Ireland is Speed Skating Canada’s long track program director, putting him in charge of a team he used to be on.

Ireland, 40, was a skater on the national team for seven years, representing Canada at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics.

“I would like to thank Speed Skating Canada for giving me this opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading sport organizations,” Ireland said in a statement. “I look forward to working together with our coaches, athletes, support staff and sport partners towards building future Canadian speed skating successes.”

Filling a position that’s been vacant for more than a year, Ireland’s duties will include overseeing the team in the lead up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

He’ll be based at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, where he had been working as the facility’s director of sport.

He was also a national team coach for eight years, guiding the national sprint team, which included recently retired star Jeremy Wotherspoon and Ireland’s younger brother, Mike.

Speed Skating Canada, in a release, praised Ireland’s leadership in leading the Calgary Oval through recent financial challenges, citing his passion and dedication to the sport.